Song of a Marionette
by Yaoi no Hime
Summary: Nothing could get worse than his fight against Kyuubi weakening...other than being rejected by Sasuke, screwed by Gaara, and molested by a certain fox demon. Angst is bound to be. GaaNaru, onesided NaruSasu, KyuuNaru, KyuNaruGaa, slight NejiNaruRevised
1. You Learn

**Song of a Marionette **

**Written By:** Yaoi no Hime

**Beta'd By:** Yaoi no Megami (since my beta is currently banned from her computer until further notice, please e-mail me if you'd be so wonderful as to help poor little me out)

**Disclaimer:** This is the only time I'll be putting this up. Any products, song lyrics, places or anything that causes a problem DO NOT belong to me in any way whatsoever and I am definitely not making any money off of this little enjoyment. Naruto and its characters do not belong to me either.

**Notes:** Well. I know I shouldn't be starting another fic with so many others still not completed but this idea has been sticking to my head for a while now and I don't think it'll hurt much to write something I've been pondering over for literally months. I have yet to read a NarutoxKyuubi fic so I decided to write one of my own after seeing a Naruto fanart at a Japanese page of Naruto and Kyuubi. I thought it'd be a pretty good idea to write one. So…my Naruto yaoi fanfic group I'm starting shall be called NinPou Inc. So far I only have my beta/yaoi fanatic buddy Sparky aka Yaoi no Megami in it. So, if you're willing to join just e-mail me at On further notice, you can check out my deviantART site for the drawing that goes with this chapter! The link is in my profile. There'll surely be one for every chapter.

**Revision March 2005:** _Switched up a few words here and there and changed a few things. Added dates as well, as they are important. _

_You live you learn_

_You love you learn _

_You cry you learn _

_You lose you learn_

_You bleed you learn_

_You scream you learn._

-Alanis Morissette

Chapter 1: You Learn

**SUNDAY, SEPTEMBER 26TH **

Light faded and all happy thoughts were gone.

"What the hell is wrong with you dobe?"

Breaths quickened and feet shifted.

"I love you Sasuke…"

Eyes flashed and lips frowned.

"…that's disgusting."

Naruto's throat tightened at hearing the words he'd dreaded the most. However he expected his confession to go, he hadn't thought Sasuke would react that badly…even if he was the naturally ill-natured Sasuke.

Apparently he was wrong.

"Dis…gusting?"

Sasuke's face twisted even more, displaying the disgust he spoke so 'fondly' of.

"Did you think I would feel the same way about you? I could give a damn about anyone's feelings right now. At this moment, all I'm concerned about is the death of my _'brother'_…by my hands alone." The statement was made with such an expression of distaste even Naruto, who was pretty used to Sasuke's cold demeanor, had to wince.

How was it possible for someone to be so cold, uncaring of others' feelings? Naruto could feel the burning tears gather in his eyes, ready to fall. After everything they'd been through together he wasn't expecting to be turned down so ruthlessly…

"Is that so…"

Much to his dismay, the tears finally fell, now unable to come to a halt. "Bastard….Sasuke…" He fell to his knees, burying his face into his hands, as to hide his weakness from his 'foe'. He'd expected so much…too much maybe. He'd expected to finally have someone in his life to actually _care_ for him. As grateful as he was to Iruka, the teacher didn't have and couldn't supply the kind of love he craved so much. Now when he'd finally though he'd found it…his whole world of hope crumbled and buried him deep within the dark.

A snort.

That was the only reaction he got out of the Uchiha heir.

"I don't have time to waste on you, dobe." Sasuke turned his back on Naruto and started making his was home. After a few paces, he stopped and turned a cool, cruel smile on Naruto. "For the record, I'd date _Sakura_ before even touching a guy... especially _you_."

But Naruto wasn't listening. The only sounds processing in his mind were that of the brisk, quiet night…and those he was sure only he could hear within.

**_No use wasting your time on him, brat._**

From where those words came from, he was unsure but he had a pretty general idea. Unconsciously, he brought a hand down to rest atop his stomach, where the seal that imprisoned the Kyuubi lay.

Watching the person he'd given his heart to walk away from him without even looking back hurt more than anything. His only hope; the one person he'd wanted, _needed_, acknowledgement from…

…was gone.

After what seemed like an eternity, but was only a few minutes, Naruto lifted himself off the ground, all tears having ceased. Without a word, nor a thought, and probably not even a breath, he headed in the opposite direction Sasuke had gone; towards his 'home'.

His stupidity astounded him at times like these.

To actually believe that Sasuke could ever return his feelings was just…ridiculous. He wanted to laugh at his own misguided beliefs.

'_What the hell was I _thinking?'

With a cry of anguish Naruto threw his favorite clay ramen bowl across the room, savoring the satisfying crash it made as it shattered on the wall. He fell to his knees for the second time that night and silently wept, only the soft sounds of his sniffles being heard.

Yet, his weeping was cut short as a hand softly stroked his hair, seemingly trying to offer comfort. Now tense, Naruto whipped around and nearly fell down in shock of what, or rather _who_, he saw.

"Gaa—"

The hand massaged through his hair, its fingers slowly trailing down Naruto's exposed neck.

He shivered.

"Gaara…what are you doing here."

He cringed as he heard the raspy sound of his own voice, his throat still sore from harsh sobs.

His question was ignored as Gaara dipped his head down and nuzzled the blonde's neck, his tongue dipping out once to taste the skin. Naruto gasped at the wet contact and pointedly glared at the Sand nin.

"What the fuck are you doing?" His arms reached up and pushed Gaara away from him. "Answer my question."

Gaara simply stared at him, his turquoise eyes seemingly glowing in the faint darkness of Naruto's bedroom. Then, much to Naruto's shock, he gave a small smile; kind of predatory, yes, but a smile nonetheless. Silently he moved closer to Naruto, taking no notice of the fear in his prey's eyes. It was all so beautiful to him. Just another part of the blonde he wanted a taste of so badly.

Naruto bit his lip and took a few short steps back, wanting to avoid any contact with Gaara at all. He had a feeling he would live to regret it if he let the boy get any closer to him. Yet, even thinking this, he couldn't help but notice how odd it was to see Gaara with his mask down for once…but the emotion clear in the Sand nin's eyes scared him. The feral, predatory gaze boring into his flesh was making him nervous and he temporarily forgot all of his earlier troubles, taking the time to focus more on the situation at hand.

Finally reaching his destination, Gaara brought a hand forward to take hold of Naruto's cheek. The blonde flinched, expecting a harsh blow to connect to the side of his face but his fear was eased as the hand softly held his cheek. Gaara reached forward and smoothly brought his lips to Naruto's ear.

"I can make the pain disappear."

Even though the meaning of the statement was not clear, Naruto was more than positive the redhead spoke of his earlier situation with Sasuke. How he'd known about it was beyond Naruto's comprehension but that was no matter. How could Gaara make the pain disappear? Could he really do so? Would he be free from the immense heartache the youngest Uchiha had thrust upon him?

"How so?"

Gaara pulled the smaller ninja into his arms, ignoring the surprised gasp he got in response. With quick and nimble hands, he discarded the orange jacket Naruto was so fond of and stroked Naruto's now bare arms.

"Just let me take you. Let me be the one to have a taste of your innocence…and I'll make the pain go away."

In the arms of his once enemy, Naruto trembled. To have a taste of his innocence? Could he actually possibly mean it in a…sexual manner? If so…then was he willing to give up his innocence to one of Konoha's greatest foes? Could he really betray the trust of those who had decided to befriend him?

He sighed as the red-head nipped softly on the flexible skin of his neck.

Maybe he could.

Even so, it felt as if he was selling his soul to the devil himself.

With his mind made, he smiled sadly at the shinobi embracing him, tears, yet again, stinging his eyes.

"Take the pain away?" He softly pleaded, all thoughts of regrets slipping.

Without another word, nor any hesitation, Gaara claimed Naruto's lips as his own. This was what he wanted, this was what Naruto wanted, and could anything go wrong? Definitely not. He'd waited so long for this to happen, for him to claim Naruto as his own without any Uchiha-obstacles to waver his path. Hell, he'd even asked Kankuro for some…pointers…and was infinitely glad that Temari knew nothing of their 'affairs'.

She most likely would have died of shock; after all, he _was_ Gaara of the Sand he had an image to maintain.

Yet, now, he was finally getting the one and only thing in life he'd needed for himself.

Naruto groaned, running his fingers through Gaara's blood-red, untamed hair. He wanted so badly to forget. He smiled and gave Gaara complete access to the cavern of his mouth. He wanted all painful feelings to disappear. The blonde gave a sigh against the lips as two hands, both noticeably calloused by battle, explored the skin hidden beneath his shirt. Naruto wished for all memories of his encounter with Sasuke to fade to black, disappearing, even if only for that one night.

And they did.

All pains were diminished as one of Gaara's hands lowered from his chest, down his abdomen, to the waistband of his pants. His heart raced as the hand moved lower until it had finally reached where it set out to be. He broke the kiss in a gasp as Gaara (quite expertly?) fondled his member.

Naruto groaned and boldly crushed his lips on Gaara's, continuing their heated kiss with as much passion as he could conjure.

All doubts were ebbed.

Never once had he imagined that he would one day be in his room about to have sex for the first time with anyone other than Sasuke, especially not with Gaara. Yet, in Gaara's embrace, he could forget about his feelings towards Sasuke.

In Gaara's arms, he was pacified.

A particularly stimulating tug at his penis snapped Naruto out of his thoughts and he shivered at the sensation, slowly falling to his knees. "Gaara…"

With his free hand, Gaara removed the traditional tee Naruto wore under his jacket. Naruto's concentration was scrambled as warm, wet lips traced patterns across his chest.

Breath coming out in shuddering gasps, Naruto trailed his fingers across the nape of Gaara's neck and, sighing softly, he tugged at the redhead's clothing. He wanted to feel Gaara's skin upon his own. His skin tingled as Gaara's head bent down and lips suckled at his collarbone. Naruto had a feeling that'd leave a mark in the morning.

The thought made his face flush and himself glad that his jacket was high collared.

Naruto cried out as a sharp bite at his neck replaced the tingling sensation with a flash of pain.

Now he was **positive** that would leave a mark.

He bit his lip as the teeth sunk deeper into his flesh, warm blood trailing from the wound. In the midst of pain, Naruto couldn't help but feel like putty in Gaara's arms, pleasure overriding his senses. Even the pain emitting from the wound Gaara was currently suckling at was pure ecstasy. Who'd have thought that Gaara could be so incredibly sexy?

Gaara smirked as his sensitive ears picked up the slightest of gasps, whimpers, and moans coming from Naruto. No matter how much he wanted to simply **take** what was his, he'd long ago decided to take it slowly.

He wanted Naruto to come running to him with the need to feel skin upon skin.

He wanted Naruto to become dependent on their relationship.

He wanted Naruto to be his.

Completely.

Utterly.

His.

And his he was as Naruto let out a particularly loud whimper and came into the Sand Nin's hand, all the while screaming out the name of the person who had made him feel such rapture.

Hard, shallow breathing met Gaara's ears as he pulled his hand out of the confines of Naruto's pants. He looked down at his soiled hand and knew that Naruto was his for the taking. Seemingly ignoring the blonde's embarrassment, Gaara lapped at the semen that stained his hand, enjoying every single essence of Naruto. Oh, he knew that that particular action embarrassed Naruto to no end, but he also knew that it had undoubtedly aroused him as well.

He could feel the wide blue eyes watching his movements with interest and knew it was time. After all, he was a very knowledgeable person.

With no hesitation Gaara attacked Naruto's body, ravishing him all over again. He nearly smirked at the other boy's surprised gasp and failed attempts at forming words.

"You didn't think it was over already did you?"

Naruto had the grace to look embarrassed and gave the question no reply.

Gaara gently took Naruto's hand in his and guided it down to his unsatisfied erection. "It's just beginning…"

With that said Gaara waited for no answer and proceeded to finish what he had come for. He left nothing open for discussion and gave Naruto everything he had. All the lust he had saved up just for that moment.

And so, the blonde container of the Kyuubi was his and his alone.

No Uchiha would be a problem anymore.

**MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH **

Warm air met his slightly sweaty body as the morning breeze drifted in through his open window.

'Open window…?'

Then, everything came back to him and he smiled sadly.

Gaara hadn't even bothered to stay.

Naruto grimaced as he got a good look at his once clean sheets now stained with blood and semen. Wincing, he threw his sore legs over the side of the bed; he never imagined that the first time could hurt so much and it really hadn't helped that his body was so small and somewhat underdeveloped.

His blue eyes glared at the dried blood that trailed down his inner thigh as a painful reminder of his experience.

Yet…

The pain hadn't been _that_ unbearable.

He got up and carefully walked through the room till he reached the bathroom in which he took the time to take a good look at his reflection.

To put it bluntly: he looked like shit.

Naruto glared at his reflection; at all the bruises, cuts, and bite marks.

'But I have to admit that it wasn't all that bad…'

Indeed it wasn't, plus, he could easily hide all traces of his night with Gaara with clothing. It wasn't like he was going to have to strip naked in front of everyone. At least…he hoped he wouldn't.

With another sigh, Naruto turned on the shower tap and proceeded to wash away all the sweat and other stuff his body was covered in. It was really uncomfortable. He smiled softly and grabbed his washcloth, purposely blocking out all thoughts of a certain Uchiha and Sand nin. He wanted to at least enjoy a nice hot shower before depressing himself all over again with such thoughts.

But as he ran the cloth along his body, he couldn't help but remember the gratifying feel Gaara's touches – gentle and rough.

Naruto gave another grimace…

…and switched to a cold shower.

End of Chapter 1: You Learn

Oo I was actually planning on stretching this chapter out much further but I thought I'd leave off right here. The first chapter really doesn't have to be that long though. Yet, you can COUNT on the next chapters being nice and hefty!

Though there was no actual lemon in this chapter, I'll surely have some in later ones. If you want, I can even give this chapter a lemon.

Reviews are much appreciated. Flames will be either laughed at or flatly ignored.

**Revision March 2005:**

Switched up a few words here and there and changed a few things. Added dates as well, as they are important.


	2. Precious Illusions

**Song of a Marionette **

**Written** **By**: Yaoi no Hime

**Beta'd** **By**: Yaoi no Megami (since my beta is currently banned from her computer until further notice, please e-mail me if you'd be so wonderful as to help poor little me out)

**Notes**: XD Wee! I am SO back with the next installment to SoaM! Isn't this just great? I give many thanks to those who reviewed the first chapter. I'm aiming for 4000 words! Gimme a cheer! Like last time, the chapter drawing is on deviantART. Anyway, the NinPou Inc. website is going to be designed by my cool friend Kalli. I bow to her superiority.

**Revision March 2005:** _Again, switched up a few words here and there. Cleaned up the lemon a little. Added dates, as they are important. Changed Naruto's age to 14; 13 was a typo apparently._

_You'll rescue me right?_

_In the exact same way they never did_

_I'll be happy right?_

_When your healing powers kick in_

_You'll complete me right?_

_Then my life can finally begin _

_I'll be worthy right?_

_Only when you realize the gem I am? _

Alanis Morissette

Chapter 2: Precious Illusions

**MONDAY, SEPTEMBER 27TH **

"You're LATE!"

Sakura and Naruto sat on the rail of their usual meeting spot at the bridge.

Sasuke was confused, something that didn't normally appear in his list of emotions. Just last night, Naruto had been sitting in the dirt crying because of his rejection and now he was back to swooning over Sakura and being irritated by their teacher. Then again…the blonde hadn't said a word at all to him that morning so he was probably still upset.

Then it dawned on the youngest Uchiha.

Maybe Naruto wasn't as joyous as he always made it seem…

"Gomen, gomen. I had to help Tsunade-sama handle some issues…"

Naruto raised an eyebrow in doubt and Sakura just brushed it off. For once, he'd found a good enough excuse.

Sasuke snorted. Maybe there was a first for everything.

As Sasuke stood, thinking to himself, Naruto couldn't help but steal a glance at him. It was clear they were both acting as if nothing had happened the previous night. He sighed. Well, he could handle that. He wasn't really looking forward to a talk with Sasuke about anything, though he doubted the Uchiha would want to talk to him anyway. Naruto shifted a little on the rail and winced; he ass was still quite sore from his and Gaara's…activities. With that in mind Naruto blushed, praying nobody saw it

Naruto sighed and stared into space, tuning out Kakashi's debriefing of their mission. Thinking back on Kakashi's excuse he wondered if those issues had anything to do with a certain Gaara of the Sand. Naruto shook his head. Perhaps he was being a bit too paranoid. Tsunade couldn't have known that Gaara was in Konoha…right? Pretending to be responding to something Kakashi had said, he frowned.

'September 26th…Uzumaki Naruto has lost his virginity…at the age of 14. Joy.'

Thinking on it, he had to admit that 14 _was_ a pretty young age to be sexually active. 'Damn raging hormones…'

At least he didn't have to worry about getting pregnant. That particular thought lifted his spirits and smiled slightly.

"NA-RU-TO!"

The said boy nearly fell off the bridge as Sakura's loud voice snapped him out of his reverie. Naruto straightened himself and looked towards Sakura. "Ah…gomen, gomen, Sakura-chan!" He gave a nervous laugh and mentally slapped his forehead for not paying attention. 'Good going Naruto…'

Sakura huffed. "Were you even listening to a word I just said?"

Stuffing all his thoughts to the back of his mind Naruto gave another nervous laugh and shifted his eyes towards the sky. "Eh…not…really?"

The pink-haired kunoichi shook her head and sighed. "Why do I even bother…? What I SAID was we should stay together as a group for this particular mission. It'll be hard to trap the pathetic purse-snatcher on the loose if we split up since the markets are busy today"

'Loud and obnoxious…loud and obnoxious…loud and obnoxious…' Naruto repeated his personal mantra in his head as he gave Sakura his response. "Eeehhh…demo, Sakura-chan! I was hoping for just the two of us…" He sent a glare in Sasuke's direction. "Sasuke-teme would do just fine by himself. He is any other time!" He grimaced at the double-meaning present in that sentence.

"Feh…dobe, do you think I want to work with you anyway?" Sasuke returned the glare with even more malice than Naruto's own.

Naruto felt his face go red, preparing to show his 'teammate' exactly what he thought of him, but a large hand rested on his shoulder and he found himself face to face with their instructor. The look in Kakashi's single visible eye was not one to be ignored. Naruto sighed and backed off, his glare towards Sasuke not letting up for one moment. In actuality he'd planned on completely ignoring Sasuke for as a long as possible but when he though about it…it'd probably be unwise. Everyone would know for a fact that something was up with him and he didn't fancy the idea of his sex life being made public. He had enough public problems already.

Frowning Sakura stared at Naruto…or, rather yet, glowered at him. It was the same every time they met on the bridge before a mission. She'd thought that over a year of them being a team would bring them together but it only seemed to pull them further apart. She gave a smile to herself though…at least she had her Sasuke-kun to herself. 'Now if only I could get Naruto to stop bugging me all the time…'

Kakashi shook his head, thoughts somewhere along the same lines as Sakura's, and released his grip on Naruto's shoulder. Perhaps this mission would put a dent in their efforts towards teamwork. "You can start your mission now and report back here at sunset if you've caught the bandit. I have no doubts that you'll be here on time." With that, the jounin disappeared in a poof of smoke, leaving no time for reactions, questions, or discussion.

Taking a look at her irritated teammates Sakura decided to be the one to initiate things. "Um…we should get going now. Where do you think we should start Sasuke-kun?"

Naruto almost rolled his eyes at Sakura's blind 'love' for their Uchiha associate. Not to mention he didn't remember there being any vote on Sasuke being the leader of the mission, as if they needed one at all, but it was always like that. He'd be the loud one doing rash things and handing out useless suggestions while Sasuke was the calm and collected one, insensitive of others' feelings and taking the lead in the majority of their missions. In the beginning it bothered him but after a few months with Team 7 he knew that, with Sakura on the team, it'd never change.

Sasuke's only answer to Sakura's query was to turn around and start walking down the path leading to the central area of the markets.

Naruto felt his eye twitch.

'Antisocial bastard.'

They passed through the central market with no problems, nor any sign of the thief they were pursuing. It was close to sunset and they were pretty much running out of time (though they couldn't comprehend why they were being timed in the first place). Feeling rather irritated with the whole situation, Naruto had long since given up on acting normal and bickering with Sasuke and Sakura. He just wasn't up to it.

Walking a little slower, Sakura observed her quiet friends and was more than puzzled. Usually they would argue at every chance they got but today…they pretty much ignored each other, walking as far apart as possible. Just what happened between the two of them that she didn't know of? She shook her head and took another look at their surroundings. There was no way they were going to find the thief by sundown.

It was apparent that Naruto shared Sakura's feelings as he threw his hands up in exasperation and stopped his slow pace. "This is impossible! As far as we know, the thief could be in Water Country by now. Sheesh…"

As much as he hated to admit it, Sasuke knew that Naruto was most likely right. After all, they'd been searching for hours to no avail and sundown would be there in another hour or so.

Naruto pouted. "Man…there goes ramen at Ichiraku tonight. Ojisan said tonight's special was going to be the best yet."

"Naruto! Don't you ever thing of anything _other_ than food? Finding the thief is much more important at the moment!" Sakura reprimanded.

Naruto winced and chose not to answer the question. It was pretty hard _not_ to be constantly thinking about food when you had to work so hard to feed yourself. But he supposed Sakura didn't know that, having loving parents and all. Even Sasuke wouldn't have any problems being Konoha's number one poster boy. Naruto turned away and continued silently walking on. 'She didn't have to rub it in like that…'

Sakura looked somewhat surprised when Naruto didn't say anything back, not even a whisper. 'Is it just me or is today just totally…off. No arguments were made, no fists or insults thrown, and Naruto didn't have anything to say for once. Just what is going on?'

Sasuke had pretty much the same thing going through his head, but he knew just what was wrong. For reasons only he and Naruto knew, the blonde Genin was avoiding him. Not speaking unless it was necessary and not even stealing a glance his way. Indeed things were pretty off. He knew it would change back to normal eventually anyway. Naruto couldn't just sulk forever just because someone turned him down. With a shake of his head (they all seemed to be doing that a lot lately) Sasuke stopped his direction and started back towards the bridge. "We might as well go back now. No use trying to find him when we'll barely be able to see in the dark."

"Dark…?" Looking up at the sky Naruto was surprised to see that it was indeed getting dark and sundown had been a while ago. He was so lost in his thoughts that he didn't even notice time go by so quickly. All in all, he couldn't wait to get home after such a stressful day. His thoughts had circled around Gaara and Sasuke for a majority of the day and a good night's sleep sounded good to him.

"Naruto! C'mon."

He looked up at Sakura who was a good few yards ahead of him and smiled.

At least not every aspect of his life was miserable.

Naruto groaned and collapsed on his bed.

Even if they hadn't done any specific training, he was more mentally exhausted than physically. All the excessive thinking he'd done was making his head hurt more and his feet get heavier with every step. He sat up on the edge of his bed and quickly discarded his jacket and pants, deciding to take a shower when he got up in the morning. The blonde thanked the gods that Kakashi-sensei had given them the next day off even though they never found the thief.

With a hefty sigh, Naruto threw himself onto the bed and drifted to sleep.

After what seemed like minutes, but was actually a good two hours later, Naruto stirred in his sleep. He moaned and curled up, moving his hand to swat at what felt like a bug crawling over his neck. He'd always hated the little buggers that came in through the bothersome crack in his window. When he shifted some more, the touch at his neck only got more frequent and he finally attempted to sit up.

Only to find that something – or rather someone – was holding him down.

At this, Naruto's eyes snapped open in shock, staring into hungry turquoise eyes. To say that he felt relieved to see who it was currently straddling him to his bed would've been a lie, because he wasn't really, but it was better Gaara than some homicidal pervert...

…Two words that seemed to fit Gaara quite accurately.

"Gaara…back for more?" The blonde genin winced at how wanton that statement sounded. He really hadn't meant for it to sound like he actually_ wanted_ more.

Gaara could only smirk down at his 'most prized possession' as he spoke that line. It was amusing that this same person, seemingly ashamed of their 'relationship', was just writhing and _screaming_ in pleasure just the night before. Maybe he had time to actually let it sink in just _what_ he was doing with **whom**.

Ignoring any of Naruto's half-hearted protests, Gaara dipped his head down lay rough, but passionate, kisses along his collarbone. "I'm assuming you're still sore from last night?"

The said boy winced as the question only made the ache in his backside more noticeable. Sore was really an understatement…it was more like in agony. Being a virgin then handled in such a rough way could really cause harm, no matter how good it felt while they were going at it. In response to his lover's question, he gave a slight nod.

"Good."

Possessive, greedy hands trailed along his body, exploring every nook and cranny and, in what seemed like a blink of the eye whilst being under the soothing touches, Naruto was naked beneath the Sand nin. He vaguely noted his clothes tossed carelessly about the floors of his bedroom as Gaara attacked his bare flesh with the warmth of his lips. The rough, but comforting, touches had him writhing underneath his still-clothed partner. When his hands reached up, trying to get the clothes off Gaara, they were quickly knocked away and Gaara's eyes met his in silent warning.

Don't touch unless I say.

Naruto resisted the urge to roll his eyes and his hands returned to the bedside, clutching at the sheets as Gaara's skillful tongue struck a sensitive bunch of nerves. So caught up in his bliss, he was unaware of Gaara's hand roaming until there was a sharp pain in his entrance. He hissed, being brought out of his pleasurable haze by a finger exploring his hole.

Gaara, deciding Naruto biting off his own tongue wouldn't be any good, brought their lips together in a hot frenzy. He knew it was probably still too soon for them to be going through this again, but his thoughts had been so focused on Naruto the entire day and he had a lot of sexual frustration to release. Now that he had gotten what he wanted for so long, going to Kankuro was out of the question. Even _he_ had enough decency to not go fooling around with just anyone while he was involved with another, even if it was only for sexual reasons.

Clothes were hastily added to the ones already littered on the floor. Gaara had finally decided they were in the way. Another hiss of pain was heard above their harsh breathing as the said Sand nin added another two fingers in the tight entrance reaching for the spot he knew would soothe at least _some _of Naruto's pain. As he felt a shudder beneath him and a quiet moan whispering for more, he knew he'd found what he was searching for.

"Gaara…"

The sound of his name being whispered in such a manner by _his_ Naruto was enough to make him shiver. Unable to stand it any longer, Gaara removed his fingers from the tight warmth and spit on his hand, rubbing it along his length.

Probably not enough lubrication, but he really didn't care.

Naruto stared at the length before him, dreading (and knowing he would painfully love) what was to come. Before he could think another thought, the walls of his entrance were being thoroughly stretched as Gaara eased his way in. It was quite painful, yes, but nothing compared to what he experienced the previous night as a virgin. His body tensed, trying to adjust to the feeling of his lover filling him to the hilt. The blonde cried out as the moment he relaxed Gaara's sex pulled out and pushed forward again in two painfully slow movements.

Gaara licked his lips, enjoying every moment of dominating his 'prize', and leaned forward to gently brush the sweat-matted blonde hair away from Naruto's eyes. His eyes danced dangerously as he stared into the cat-like blue eyes flecked with red. Apparently, Naruto was infused with his demon's chakra in the heat of passion…just making him all the more desirable. Gaara almost chuckled as Naruto, moaning with impatience, rocked his hips in a silent (minus his pleading whimpers) message telling him to continue. Giving in to Naruto's commands, Gaara groaned and moved his hips in tune with Naruto's own bucking and in their midst of passion and pain, Gaara leaned his head forward and whispered words in his lover's ear.

Though he was sure most of them weren't registering in Naruto's head at all.

Finally, nearing their last moment of bliss, the redhead nibbled at an earlobe and smirked. "Come for me, Naruto…" The whispered words and warm breath drove Naruto over the edge and he pulled his lover's head down for a forceful, passionate kiss as he came in as much sweet rapture as the night before.

The sound of his name being screamed out loud as Naruto's head lolled back was enough to make Gaara push once more before earning his release as well.

Naruto sighed and let his arms fall beside him as he felt the warm liquid fill him and slightly spill out as Gaara's length was removed. He had no idea how he was going to be able to train the next day, knowing well enough that he'd be even more sore then than he'd been today. He let his thoughts wander and wasn't really surprised when a sudden rush of cool air hit his skin while he lay in his, now lonely, bed. Not trusting himself to move the lower region of his body, he turned his head to the side and observed Gaara as he slowly dressed himself.

"Leaving so soon?" Naruto asked, propping his head on his hand.

Gaara paused his dressing to get a good look at his thoroughly ravaged lover. "No choice. I doubt Konoha would be very happy to see me here."

Nodding his head, Naruto wondered if that was the reason he'd left the previous night as well. Even he knew that their relationship was nothing of the romantic kind so he doubted the redhead would willingly stay behind and enjoy the afterglow. His thoughts her halted (again) as the said redhead sat on the edge of the bed and set a soft, chaste kiss upon his lips.

"Maybe I'll stay next time. I have a mission anyway so I won't be here again for a while."

With that said Gaara got off the bed and made his way out the apartment, leaving a stunned Naruto to stare after him from the bed. Sighing and shaking his head, Naruto got up to clean the mess they'd made of his bed again. His teammates had a habit of entering his apartment without asking so it would be a good idea to get rid of the 'incriminating' evidence telling of what transpired in the bed.

He grinned, tossing the sheets into the hamper and heading towards the shower.

For some reason…Gaara's last words left him in a much better mood than before.

**TUESDAY, SEPTEMBER 28TH **

Just as he'd predicted, a bucket of ice-cold water effectively woke him from whatever he'd been dreaming.

That seemed to be their most favored way of waking him.

Yet, that still didn't stop it from being any less surprising. He bolted upright out of the bed and glared down at his soaking figure. Naruto glowered up at the person who had the pleasure waking him on such a '**_lovely_**' morning.

Sasuke.

Joy.

"The fuck was that for, bastard!" He snarled, clearly aware his insult held much more venom than it ever had before.

"NARUTO! Don't use such foul language against Sasuke-kun! It's not his fault you were late this morning!"

Naruto grimaced, not wanting to tell her that technically it was because Sasuke was the one that drove him to Gaara in the first place and Gaara was the one who'd worked him to the point of utter exhaustion. But of course he'd never say that out loud, so…

"But, Sakura-chan! This BASTARD…"

"Now, now Naruto. No need to use language like that around a lady. You know very well what happens whenever you're late for training."

Sakura and Naruto simply stared at their instructor, wondering where he came off giving such a hypocritical statement. Yet, neither decided to say anything about it since it really wouldn't make a difference anyway.

Naruto pouted, about to sit on the floor…before deciding that probably wouldn't be the best of ideas and strolled over to the bed to sit. For once in his life, he really didn't feel like training with his team. The pains in his ass would be nothing but a nuisance and make everything at least 10 times harder than usual.

"But…I don't want to train today…"

The room suddenly got uncomfortably quiet as they all stared at Naruto as if he was an alien.

Sakura's brow creased in slight worry and she frowned before moving forward to stare Naruto in the face. "Are you okay Naruto? I mean, for _you_ to **not** want to train is like…odd. Has Hell finally frozen over?"

The two behind her could only nod in agreement. Naruto was always the first to actually want to train.

The blond shifted a little on the bed. He hadn't thought such a simple statement would affect them so much. It wasn't like his life revolved around training with them…right? His brow creased as well and he grinned. "I'm not really feeling well today guys. Ne, Kakashi-sensei?"

"Hm?"

"Would it be okay if I just went back to sleep for a while? I really didn't get much comfortable sleep last night…"

Kakashi smiled and put his hands on Sakura and Sasuke's shoulders, leading them towards the door. "Sure thing. I'll send Iruka over later with something to help you out…and you might want to change out of those clothes before you get worse."

Naruto couldn't help but smile back at his instructor. "Okay…thanks Kakashi-sensei."

The jounin only nodded and led his other two students out the door, shutting it firmly behind him.

Naruto sneezed.

"Great…now I've got a cold to add to ass pains. Geez…"

End of Chapter 2: Precious Illusions

Hm…not exactly 4000 words but close enough. I'm not particularly proud of this chapter…it's actually crap to me, but I'm glad to be improving on my lemon scenes. I tried to keep it on an R rating but it's probably bordering on NC-17. Hopefully doesn't decide that it's too much for an R rating and delete this or my author's account. They seem to be doing that a lot lately to other authors. Well…see you in chapter 3! It should be out pretty soon considering I was working on both of these at the same time. Since I know what's going to happen in chapter 3, I wrote in there whenever I was inspired to do so.

**Revision March 2005:** _Again, switched up a few words here and there. Cleaned up the lemon a little. Added dates, as they are important._


	3. Adia

**Song of a Marionette **

**Written** **By**: Yaoi no Hime

**Beta'd** **By**: Yaoi no Megami

**Notes**: This chappie didn't come out as quick as I intended it to…oh well. Okay then, answering some faqs: No, Kakashi does not know just what's going on with Naruto and Gaara. He was just being a trusted mentor and getting Sakura and Sasuke off Naruto's back. Whether or not he believed Naruto's 'sickness' is up to you. I just wanted to clear that up.

**Revision March 2005:**_ NO REVISION SILLY! NEW CHAPTER! W00t! Enjoy people! The next one SHOULD be out in a few days. _

_I leave you with your misery_

_A friend who won't betray  
I pull you from your tower_

_I take away your pain  
And show you all the beauty you possess  
If you'd only let yourself believe that we are born innocent  
Believe me Adia, we are still innocent  
It's easy, we all falter, does it matter?_

Sarah McLachlan

Chapter 3: Adia

**MONDAY, OCTOBER 4TH **

Hyuuga Neji sat on the edge of the 'porch' outside his room. There wasn't really much to look at except the small koi pond his father had put there years ago, but sitting outside where he knew he wouldn't be disturbed always helped him think better.

And at that moment, he was desperate for a clear mind.

For once in his life, Neji was dealing with problems that had nothing to do with his family. Rather than family issues, he had to deal with a tough matter of the heart and it all started during the Chuunin Exams. He sighed and ran his bare feet across the soft earth, heeding no attention to the fact that his feet would be considerably dirty by the time he went back inside. The Chuunin Exams had played a major part in his life, changing him for all the better and he had one person to thank for his fortune…

...Uzumaki Naruto…

Neji couldn't help but flush a little as he thought back to his most recent dilemma. Never had he thought there would be a day so early in his life when he'd develop a crush for the first time. Never would anyone think that he, Hyuuga Neji, could have a crush on anyone…especially one Uzumaki Naruto. Hell, it came as an unhealthy shock to him the night he woke up to a sweaty body and soiled shorts after a rather…erotic…dream of the blonde genin.

To say he was fiercely embarrassed would be the understatement of the year. He was down right mortified and more than glad it wasn't time for his daily wake up call from Hinata-_sama_. Just the thought of someone seeing him in such an embarrassing situation would've ruined the front he put up for the world to see.

Speaking of Hinata…

He was more than positive that the kunoichi was also pretty attracted to their fellow genin. That thought alone was enough to worsen his already sour mood. That was just what he needed…a rival in the race for Naruto's attention. Then again, she was pretty much a pushover since she couldn't even approach the blond without stuttering, getting red in the face, and retreating before getting a single legible sentence in.

He smirked.

The blonde was his for the taking.

Neji then took the time to look at his feet…which were now covered with dry mud. He glared at the offending limbs in disgust before standing up and heading back in for a shower.

* * *

Naruto frowned and glared at his steaming bowl of ramen.

Seven days.

It'd been seven days since he'd last seen his redheaded lover and, even though they'd only been together twice, Naruto was starting to feel the pains of being sexually frustrated.

That frustration seemed happy to be pointing out that no matter how much he hated Sasuke, the Uchiha was still as good-looking as they came. At least the seven Gaara-less days were enough to restore the heat in his and Sasuke's rivalry…

"Is something wrong with the ramen kid? I've never seen you look so disdainfully at it before."

The Ichiraku owner's question snapped Naruto out of his haze and he shook his head. "Nah, ojisan…just got some things on my mind."

"Well then, I'm sure a free bowl would cheer you up some, no? It's on the house kid." The old man smiled before getting back to work.

Naruto grinned, definitely uplifted and dug into his food. "Thanks a bunch ojisan!"

He heard a light chuckle and smiled at the man he'd known since Iruka had introduced him to the wonders of the ramen world. He was one of the few adults in their village that wasn't against him for having Kyuubi sealed within him. Even if the majority of the village hated his guts he was more than glad to have a FEW of them accept him.

Then, unfortunately, his thoughts whirled back around to one Uchiha Sasuke.

No matter how hard he tried, trained, and trusted, the Uchiha never even gave him a chance. Never once was he accepted for anything. In the eyes of Sasuke, he was just an idiot; nobody worth associating himself with. It hurt, but Naruto wondered why he even bothered to hope that Sasuke would ever consider him a friend, nevertheless anything more.

With one last sigh he broadened his shoulders and wolfed down the rest of his ramen.

No use letting Sasuke-bastard make his bad mood worse.

He stood up and threw a grin at the owner. "Thanks ojisan! See ya tomorrow!"

Exiting the shop, he looked around the town he fondly called home. The villagers weren't exactly what you would call the understanding type, but it didn't change the fact that he considered Konohagakure his home. It was the place he was born and raised. The same place where he met Iruka-sensei, his father figure in life, and the third and fifth Hokage, who he loved and respected a good deal. This was the place he thrived to protect and a few problems here and there weren't enough to deter his path.

Having not really been paying attention to anything around him, Naruto was surprised when his stroll through the village was interrupted as he ran into someone who'd been in front of him.

"What the hell…" He was still rubbing his head when a hand appeared in front of his face. Looking up, he was shocked to see who the person offering the hand was. "Neji…?"

The said Hyuuga gave a small smile and kept his hand out. "Afternoon, Uzumaki."

Shaking off his initial shock Naruto took the hand offered to him, allowing himself to be pulled up. Never had Neji bothered to be nice to him…it was really strange. He was about to dust off his bottom when he noticed Neji still had a firm grip on his hand. Naruto flushed slightly and looked up at Neji in question, "Ano…I'm up now…you can let go of my hand…"

Neji gave himself an inward smirk at Naruto's flushed face. The blonde was just too cute for his own good. He slowly slid his hand from Naruto's, deliberately letting it linger longer than necessary. Another blush graced Naruto's face. This time he smirked outwardly; the boy was too easy…

"How are you today?"

Naruto gave Neji an odd look. First kindness, now he was trying to spark a conversation? Something was definitely up with Hyuuga Neji. "Uh…okay. Not to sound rude or anything, but…why are you talking to me? I mean, you never bothered to before. Not since the Chuunin Exams."

The Hyuuga shrugged, "Just feeling particularly friendly today. No problem with that?"

Giving Neji another odd look Naruto shrugged as well. "Okay…well…I'll be on my way then." 'Weirdo…'

**'I dunno, brat. It seems as if he has another motive in mind.'**

Thoroughly surprised, Naruto nearly gave a start before remembering that Neji was still in front of him. 'What the fuck? Stupid fox, what're you doing in my head?'

'**It's a newfound gift. You'd better pay attention, kid, the Hyuuga is getting suspicious. We can talk later.'**

'Eh! Fine…'

"Naruto?"

The Kyuubi host was startled as he heard his companion's voice. "Eh?"

"I just asked if I can come with you wherever you're going."

Naruto wearily eyed the Hyuuga, not really sure if he should accept the offer. The boy seemed to be acting a little strange and had a certain look in his eye that Naruto was **sure** he'd seen somewhere before. Yet, being the 'nice' person that he was he decided to let him follow him anyway.

In the back of his mind he was positive there was an amused snort from his demon 'companion'.

"Where are you headed anyway?"

Naruto turned to look at Neji. "I really don't know. I was just wandering until I ran into you."

Nodding slowly, Neji turned his head back to stare in front of him as they walked. The silence wasn't exactly uncomfortable as he was next to the person he desired to be with, but he wished he could be a little less antisocial and spark up a conversation. He felt a little out of place being in the company of such a loud and boisterous person. He was pulled out of his thoughts as Naruto boldly grabbed his arm and started to run down the path, opposite of the direction they were heading in at first. It was a moment before he could come out of his shock to ask where Naruto was dragging him to.

With a grin Naruto gladly replied. "It's no fun just walking around doing nothing so we're going to eat at Ichiraku's! Sure I just ate there but I really wasn't in the mood for any more than one measly bowl and now that I'm done sorting out my thoughts and I have some company with me, I thought that we could go back and eat some more. Sure it's not the most fun thing in the world to do but it surely keeps me happy all the time and the owner knows me as his _best_ customer so he may sneak in a free bowl or two, though I just had a free bowl not too long ago. You wouldn't mind paying would you? I'm **really** low on cash right now since we haven't been getting any worthwhile missions and Iruka-sensei hasn't treated me to ramen in _so_ long!"

Giving a small smile at the panting boy, obviously catching his breath having said so much in one go, Neji shook his head. "I wouldn't mind paying at all…Naruto."

Naruto gave Neji a thankful smile, silently glad he didn't have to go over all his financial problems with anyone. Maybe the Hyuuga genin wasn't so bad.

After all, he was paying for the ramen.

It wasn't long before they made it to Ichiraku's….though that may have had something to do with an impatient Naruto close to literally dragging Neji up the street to the ramen bar.

"Yo, Ojisan!"

The owner turned around and smiled slightly at the boy. "Back for more now, Naruto-kun?"

Naruto flashed a grin in response and, again, dragged Neji forward. "Yeah! I brought someone with me to. He's paying of course, 'cause I'm penniless at the moment!"

"Alright then, a full-sized bowl of ramen on the house then!" With that, the middle-aged man returned to the kitchens to finish up his orders.

Neji let himself be lead to two adjacent seats and took a look around the small place. He silently wondered how often Naruto visited, since he seemed to know the owner so well. He was about to ask the blonde when a steaming hot bowl of ramen made its way in front of him. Neji looked up to see the owner grinning down at him.

"The kid comes here practically every day. Best costumer this place has ever had." He set another bowl down in front of an equally grinning Naruto. "Well, enjoy kids. I got work to do."

With that said, the owner walked back into the kitchens, leaving the genin in companionable silence. Naruto usually wasn't one who dealt well with silence, having been along most of his life, but sitting with Neji had him at ease. He didn't really know the Hyuuga that much but after the Chuunin Exams, they were considerably nicer towards one another. Maybe he could find a friend in Hyuuga Neji…one to replace that bastard Uchiha.

"Ne, Neji-kun?"

'_Kun_?' A light flush settled on Neji's cheeks as he turned to face his friend (?) in acknowledgement. "Hm?"

Naruto played a little in his food before turning and looking at Neji with an unreadable expression. "What makes you fight for Konoha?"

Slightly taken aback by the question, it took Neji a few moments to answer. "…I don't know. I guess because I was trained from birth to become a shinobi of Konohagakure. I never had much of a choice in the matter, so I do what has to be done."

"Ehhh? You're a shinobi because your clan wants you to be one? That's not a very good reason…"

Neji flinched.

"What about you?"

Naruto looked a little startled. Nobody had ever really asked him why he wanted so hard to become a shinobi, except maybe Haku but he was dead so…

"I wanted to become acknowledged by the villagers…not too much to ask for, ne?"

Neji just nodded in agreement and they finished their food in no rush, occasionally engaging in small talk about this and that.

* * *

Naruto hummed to himself as he fished through his pockets for the key to his apartment.

It had been a wonderful day.

What started out as just another day for brooding and wondering about Gaara had become a day for free ramen and a new friendship. Who'd have thought that Neji-kun could be so talkative? Just as he was about to open the door, he heard someone calling his name and looked over the rail down at the ground.

"Ah! Shizune-san, hey!"

Shizune smiled lightly and started up the stairs towards Naruto. "Ah, Naruto-kun! Good to see you again!"

He just smiled in response and opened the door to his apartment. "Would you like to come in? It's kinda messy but…"

She shook her head. "No thank you. As a matter of fact, I'm here to see you."

"Me?"

"Hai, Tsunade-sama has requested your presence in her office due to an important matter."

Naruto frowned and shut his door again. What could Tsunade want with him that was so important? There hadn't been any attacks or anything recently and any missions above C rank were pretty rare in their peaceful days.

Could it be…?

He nodded and gestured for Shizune to lead the way to Hokage Tower.

If his guess was right, he'd need a lot of will power to stop himself from screwing up his lies and getting into a sticky situation. To be called to see her after seeing Gaara in Konoha could only mean that Hidden Sand was up to something.

But why would she call on him?

Naruto grimaced. All the heavy thinking was giving him a migraine. He was about to ponder more on his situation when he ran into someone for the second time that day. 'Geez…I'm such a klutz today.' Feeling eyes on him, he looked up and noticed Shizune giving him an odd look.

"We're here already, Naruto-kun."

He blinked, looking up at the tall tower.

Indeed they were.

That just proved his theory that thinking too much wasn't good for one's health.

Giving her a nod, he picked himself up and Shizune lead the way up the tower, explaining to the Anbu guards that Tsunade requested their presence. They gave hard looks in Naruto's direction, but let the two pass without word.

Naruto frowned.

Damned adults…

Shizune stopped in front of the door and gave a knock. To Naruto's surprise, they received an answer from Tsunade, showing that she was indeed awake at her desk for once. Oh yeah…this had to be important if _Tsunade_ was actually awake at her desk. He gulped and entered the door.

Bowing, Shizune brought them to the front of the room. "Tsunade-sama."

Tsunade gave a smile to her friend and nodded her head in salutations. "Thank you Shizune, you may leave. I wish to talk to Naruto alone now."

Giving another bow, Shizune silently made her way out the office.

Almost instantaneously, the smile equipped on the Hokage's face was dropped and she gave a heavy stare towards a fidgety Naruto.

He didn't like the way she looked at him…

"Naruto."

He looked up at her, giving no reply.

"I suspect you're wondering why I have called you here in the guise of an important matter."

The blonde just gave a slow nod.

"Well, that's because this is an important matter. Recently there have been several reports from Anbu and jounin guards of sightings of nin from a certain country. Are you aware of what country they are from?"

Putting up an innocent act, he shook his head in the negative.

"It seems Sand nin have somehow gotten past the gate guards and are staking the city. Now, since the whole Sound/Sand incident, we have indeed been on shaky grounds with both countries. The events of these past weeks have been giving us less reason to be welcoming with Hidden Sand. We are wondering why they would be sneaking into Konoha and recently, there have been rumors that some of Sand are siding with Akatsuki. You are aware what that means?" She finished her short speech and gave him a soft look.

Akatsuki with Sand…

Well, shit.

His fucked up life had just gotten worse.

In response to Tsunade's query he nodded his head and spoke for the first time since entering the office. "They're after me. They're after Kyuubi."

The Fifth nodded gravely. "On normal circumstances I would send a pair of Anbu to guard you but…it seems the village is getting paranoid of all things, including you and the demon within you. I doubt that if I were to assign such guards to ensure your safety, they wouldn't bother to do a good job of it so I'm just warning you to look out for yourself." She got up and walked around her desk, stopping in front of Naruto. "I want you to stay safe, Naruto."

Feeling slightly guilty he couldn't form any words and just nodded in agreement. Before he could do anything else, he was enveloped in a tight hug from the busty woman, being practically smothered by her large cleavage. It was as if she was holding her for her dear life.

"Be safe Rokudaime-sama." She whispered in a playful manner.

Sixth Hokage, Uzumaki Naruto.

That had a pretty cool ring to it, of course that's because he was born to be Hokage someday, he thought to himself.

Going along with the joke he quickly hugged her back. "Hai, Godaime-sama!"

Finally she let go of him, straightening up. "Well then. Have a good day Naruto. Come by to see me more. It has been a while since we talked together, no?"

He nodded. It _had_ been a long time since he'd taken the time to visit Tsunade and have a friendly chat with her. "I'll be sure to keep that in mind. See ya baa-chan." With that said, he ran out the door.

Passing by Shizune on the way out, he gave her a wave and went about his way. Once out of the tower, Naruto sighed and looked up at the sky. It was getting pretty late. He did a quick stretch and headed down the street. 'I guess I'd better get home now...'

* * *

**'Now's as good a time to talk as ever.'**

Naruto was startled out of his daze by the 'voice in his head'. 'Kyuubi?'

**'Of course, baka gaki. Who else would it be?'**

For some reason it irked Naruto for the voice to sound so mocking. 'What the hell do you want? I'm trying to bathe here.'

**'...Indeed. Quite the sight for sore eyes...'**

A flush spread across Naruto's body as he thought of how strange it was to have 'his' demon ogle at his body. Then the flush faded as he remembered just WHAT the demon looked like. 'Ugh, gross pervert fox.'

An eerie chuckle echoed through the damp dark halls of Naruto's mind and, unconsciously, he shivered. It was more than weird to hear that deep, malicious chuckle in his head.

**'Kono gaki...there is so much more to me than you could possibly begin to imagine. Maybe I'll show you when you're sleep.'**

Naruto grimaced, quickly grabbing a towel and drying himself off. "Stupid animal..." Getting no smartass comment thrown back at him, Naruto guessed the demon was asleep. He gave a sigh and exited the bathroom, with only a towel hanging around his waist. He was about to make his way into the kitchen to get a bite of food before bed when a sharp tap on his door distracted him.

'Eh...? Who could that be at this time of day?'

With complete disregard of his state of dress, he went to answer the door, getting annoyed by the constant tapping. "Alright already! I'm coming, geez!"

He flung the door open and had a glare set on his face, ready to mouth off at the person at his door. Yet, he didn't get a chance to as he was shocked to see Neji standing there (a little red in the face...?) holding what looked like grocery bags.

"Neji-kun! What're you doing here at this time?"

To say Neji was in shock would be an understatement. It was definitely his lucky day to be greeted by one practically naked Uzumaki Naruto. Surprisingly, he was speechless for once and just held up his bags to show.

Naruto blinked and peered at the bags. "Eh? What's this?" Without waiting for permission, he peeked inside and nearly squealed in excitement. "FOOD!" With no hesitation in mind, he pulled Neji inside and gave him a brief, but firm hug of appreciation, before closing the door behind them.

He grinned. "What'd you bring the food for?"

Hastily regaining his composure Neji slipped off his shoes and turned back to Naruto. "I thought you'd appreciate some homemade Ramen for dinner..."

"Ah! Really! You can cook, Neji-kun?"

Neji nodded and, again, held up the ingredients. "Though it's not really necessary to learn at the Clan house, I just picked it up along the way."

Naruto was about to respond when a sudden thought came to mind and he aimed a frown at Neji. "Ne...why are you being so nice today, anyway? You never were before."

Somewhat sheepishly, Neji gave Naruto a not-so-smile. "I guess it's to apologize for the way I treated you and Hinata-sama before. I've already apologized to Hinata-sama."

"...Cool." Naruto replied, kind of at lost what to say to this seemingly foreign Hyuuga Neji. Yet, he had no objections. After loosing a close friend such as Sasuke, Naruto was glad to be making another friend.

Neji nodded and headed to the little kitchen. "We should start now..."

That was enough to get Naruto going as he rushed to his bedroom and threw on his pajamas, then rushed after Neji to get started on their cooking. The process was going just to Neji's liking as they often brushed hands and bodies, helping each other out as they went along. For Naruto, he was again feeling just a tad bit on the **frustrated **side. Even if he'd convinced himself that all the touching they were doing was innocent, his body couldn't help but flush.

Finally, after making a total mess of the helpless kitchen, they were done and Naruto couldn't help but feel giddy as they sat at his table ready to taste to product of their hard work. He gave his cooking partner a bright grin and picked up the chopsticks. "Itadakimasu!"

Picking up his chopsticks as well, Neji gave Naruto a half-smile in return. "Itadakimasu."

Naruto was the first to take a taste and immediately, after taking the first bite, dug into the rest of the bowl. "It's so good! You're such a great cook, Neji-kun!"

The Hyuuga flushed lightly and muttered a quiet thanks, digging into his own bowl. "You did most of the work, Naruto."

"Yeah, but I couldn't have done it without your help." He peered into his bowl of ramen and smiled solemnly. "I'm so useless...I can't even take care of myself without someone's help..."

Neji was taken aback by the sad tone creeping into the cheerful boy's voice. "Naruto..."

Smiling again, Naruto looked up at Neji. "But...I'm glad you're my friend now Neji. And that you're helping me out..."

"You're welcome." Neji replied with a nod.

Setting his chopsticks down, Naruto looked up at the clock hanging on his wall and did a double-take. It was well into the night. Had they really been cooking in the kitchen for that long?

Neji looked up at the clock as well and decided it was time for him to head home. They both got up, Neji helping Naruto clean up the mess and put away the left over groceries before leaving.

"Oyasumi, Neji-kun."

Neji paused at the door and turned back to Naruto. Then, without any warning, he gave the blonde a quick peck on the lips before closing the door behind him, making his way home.

The apartment was deathly silent as Naruto stood staring at the door where his newest friend left through.

Had Neji...

"Shit."

He prepared for bed, confused and thanking the gods that Gaara hadn't seen that kiss.

End of Chapter 3

O.O DOOD! I like...hit the 4000 word mark! Yay for me! Anyway, this chapter is out with 2 more chapters coming up and a few SLIGHT changes to the first 2 chapters. Just some words switched and added, a lemon sorta cleaned up, and dates added as they are important.

**Preview of Chapter 4: **

_It was so peaceful in this forest..._

_Yet, the peace didn't really last as Naruto found himself suddenly being roughly picked up and pinned to another tree._

_Thoroughly startled, Naruto didn't even have enough time to react and he cried out as his head painfully collided with the tree he was pinned against. He winced and groaned as he felt his warm blood trail down his neck. "Shit! What the hell..."_

_He quickly stopped his complaint as he opened his eyes and was suddenly peering into Gaara's own angry ones._

_To put it lightly, the Sand nin looked pissed._


End file.
